Four people have been arrested following a joint investigation into an alleged casino cheating operation that police say defrauded British Columbia casinos of more than $200,000.The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia’s Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team, known as JIGIT, worked alongside the Independent Gambling Control Office to investigate suspicious activity at a Vancouver casino earlier this month.According to investigators, the probe began May 4 after the Independent Gambling Control Office identified suspected cheating at play inside a Vancouver casino. The case was then referred to JIGIT, which launched a criminal investigation into four suspects believed to be connected to the scheme.Police say officers quickly located the suspects through coordinated efforts between gambling investigators and organized crime enforcement teams.On May 5, two men and two women were arrested in Vancouver. All four were later released pending the charge approval process.During searches connected to the arrests, investigators seized approximately $330,000 in cash believed to be proceeds of crime..Authorities say the investigation remains active, with potential charges including cheating at play, possession of proceeds obtained by crime, uttering forged documents and impersonation.“This investigation highlights the strong working relationship between the Independent Gambling Control Office and CFSEU-BC’s Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team in identifying illegal activity, apprehending suspects, and recovering illicit proceeds connected to organized gambling-related crime,” said Staff Sgt. Alvin Ng of JIGIT.Ng also thanked the British Columbia Lottery Corporation for assisting investigators.Sam MacLeod, general manager of the Independent Gambling Control Office, said early detection and coordinated action between investigators and police allowed authorities to move quickly.“In this case, early detection, real-time monitoring, effective information sharing, and coordinated action between IGCO investigators and our policing partners enabled a rapid response that led to arrests and the recovery of suspected proceeds,” said MacLeod.
